Longford Historical Society host lecture on Brehon laws

Dr James Houlihan will give a lecture to County Longford Historical Society on a fascinating aspect of the Brehon laws on Tuesday, February 28 at 8.00pm in the Family Centre, St Mel’s Road, Longford. This is the hall at the rear of the cathedral. All are welcome to attend and admission is free.

Before the usage of Norman or English law became common in Ireland, society was regulated by a system of laws known as Brehon laws. They evolved from judgements issued over many centuries by judges known as Brehons (originating from the Irish word for judge, which is breatheamh).

The office of Brehon was often hereditary within various legal families. In early times the laws were passed on orally from generation to generation but were written down and codified in the early middle ages. The laws generally dealt with civil matters such as marriage, inheritance, contracts, compensation for injury and so on.

In 697 AD Adomnán, Abbot of Iona drafted and promulgated a law known as Lex Innocentium at a synod in Birr, Co. Offaly. This law gave protection to women, children and clerics during times of conflict. It preceded the Geneva Convention by many centuries. This will be the subject of Dr Houlihan’s lecture.

Dr Houlihan is a retired solicitor and native of Birr. He has a lifetime interest in this subject and was awarded a PhD by University College Dublin. His book entitled Adomnán’s Lex Innocentium and the Laws of War was published in 2020.